Whether You Like It Or Not

Writers: AL, Suzee
Date Posted: 7th August 2013

Characters: Meledei, Pierka
Description: Meledei talks to Pierka, but it doesn't go so well.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 15 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: T'nom, Vandor, N'vanik

NOTES: Takes place before "Advice and Friendship"

Pierka

"Hey Pierka." Meledei pulled her helmet from her head and shook it.
Her hair was too tightly woven upon her head to shake out, but for
some reason she always had the feeling she needed to do that once she
was free from the confines of that particular piece of gear. She
smiled after she called to the greenrider, then strode toward her.

"Yes ma'am," Pierka inquired pulling off her own helmet. Her braid
fell down her back. Her eyes were more wary than friendly as the gold
rider approached.

"Ma'am?" Meledei wrinkled her nose. "No need for that. I'm not that
formal." The goldrider tucked her helmet beneath her arm and began to
pull at the fingers of her gloves. "You feeling okay?"

Pierka took a long cleansing breath and started to nod but then
changed slowly in to a shake of her head. "I'm not able to eat much. I
just can't keep it down."

Concern spread over Meledei's face. "Have you talked to the healer's
about it? Anything they can give you to help?"

"No, not yet." She shook her head. "I have an appointment soon
though," she said. She'd gone to the infirmary but she really only
wanted to see Vandor and he'd been busy at the time. He had been the
one to take such good care of her when she'd been scored and she
trusted him.

Meledei nodded slowly. "I hope they have something that will help
you." She paused and fiddled with her gloves. "Pierka...I know
you're mad at T'nom, and you don't have to tell me anything about it.
But...I do hope you know he wants to be there for you, and he wants to
help you with this. Actually, so do I."

Whatever she happened to feel for T'nom she couldn't quite accept
Meledei's statement at face value. "You do? Why is that?"

"Well one, you're a fellow rider. You're important. Two, that's
T'nom's baby, I care about him, and this baby is a part of him Three,
you're a person too, and I don't like seeing people upset or unhappy."
Meledei shifted her helmet from one arm to the other and ran a hand
across her brow. "So if you need anything, let me know. If not me,
at least include him, please? He's really excited about the baby."

Pierka bit back the anger that threatened to rise up but it flared in
her eyes. "Do you not even see what you've done," she asked quietly.
"_You_ are the one that made him promise. So I get nothing from the
father of my child. Don't expect me to thank you for that or for any
concerns you might have now." She looked sullenly away from the
goldrider. "He'll have plenty of time with his child once its born."

Meledei's eyes arched upward and she managed to swallow the annoyance
and anger that flared up in her. "I made him promise not to have a
romantic relationship with anyone else. I didn't make him promise not
to be friends with anyone else, Pierka. I'm a one man woman and if
I'm going to be with someone, then I expect the same in a
relationship. A relationship means commitment to me outside of
flights. That may not be the case for a large portion of the Weyr,
but it is for me. I'm not going to apologise for that."

"And the person he was obviously having a romantic relationship with
was_me_." She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "That_is_ the
only way for me to become pregnant don't you think? It obviously
wasn't my last flight." **Though he did win that flight.** "So
forgive me for taking your demand a little personally." Forget the
fact that she felt much the same way about relationships in the Weyr.
That was neither here nor there.

"Look," she said with a little less fire. "I know he cares about you,
and I know you have the power to make my life miserable. But I'm
already the loser here, so why don't you just leave your false
sympathy in your weyr." She couldn't help the tears that started to
well up in her eyes. "Say away from me."'

Meledei shook her head. "It's not _false_, Pierka, no matter what you
think. And don't worry, I hold no ill will toward you and won't make
your life miserable. However, T'nom and I are a part of each other's
lives. This baby is a part of him - which means I will be a part of
this baby's life. As for staying away, well, I won't bother you, but
look, if you do need anything, ask. We want what's best for you and
the baby." She leaned forward to make her point a little more clear.
"Whether you think otherwise or not. Have a good day." And with
that, Meledei turned and walked off without giving the greenrider a
chance to respond.

"Right, rub it in." she said as Meledei walked away from her. Of
course she didn't take any responsibility for taking the man Pierka
loved away from her. She hadn't even acknowledged the fact. But there
was one thing Pierka vowed to herself. There was no sharding way miss
goody goody goldrider was going to be a part of her child's life if
she could help it. If Pierka needed something she'd go to Vandor maybe
even N'vanik before she'd ever ask _anything_ of Meledei. Pierka
stuffed her gloves into her helmet and went in the opposite direction.

Last updated on the August 7th 2013

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